Thermal and fluid dynamic analysis of an air-forced convection rotary bread-baking oven by means of an experimental and numerical approach

A fully 3D numerical CFD model of the rotary bread-baking oven is proposed. By using the numerical model, validated by the experimental results, it is possible to highlight the airflow pattern inside the oven cavity and understand how the loaves change the airflow pattern inside the cooking chamber. Through the data collected using the experimental tests and CFD numerical simulations, some improvements in terms of airflow management inside the cooking chamber can be made. Through these improvements, the final user (as for instance bakers, either industrial or artisanal) can exploit several advantages in terms of energy saving and reduction of non-conformal baked products in relation with the localization of the recirculation zones and zones with higher velocity inside the oven cavity.